I get Off Off Topic with my buddy, Sal Clemente, and we talk some Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sal and I are the same age, and we both saw the original back in 1977 at age 14. (I said 15 in the interview, but I checked our birthdates, and we were 14 when it came out.) I think it’s fair to say the new movie brought out nostalgic feelings from when we saw Star Warsin our youth.

WARNING: MAJOR STAR WARS SPOILERS IN THE PODCAST.

For the first time this podcast is also a “vidcast.” Here’s the video version:

Couple of things, I said in the podcast that the guy who did Avenue Qwas supposed to have done the music for the Cantina Scene in the new Star Wars. Got it wrong — it was Lin-Manuel Miranda writer of Hamilton and In the Heights who did that music.

We also talk about Sal’s band (which he began with Alan Ware) called Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra (www.URORocks.com). If you want to hear some awesome 70s covers and see some great showmanship, go check out some of their videos on the website … or better yet … go see them in concert if you live in the Boston area! They have a concert on January 31st at 9 PM at the Regent Theater in Arlington.

As some of you may know, I have a webseries that I do with my talented friends called Off Off about several guys in their late 40s/early 50s trying to keep an Off Off Broadway theatre alive. This is an episode that was actually shot a while ago, but for various reasons didn’t get released until today!

Synopsis: With the looming threat of the theater space being either torn down or turned into office space, Carlton, Blake and Johnny meet up with Georgina,the owner of the building (who also happens to live in the apartment over head), to try and work out a deal to extend the life of the theater.

Guest starring:
Joan Barber
Pëtra Denison
Lexie the Dog

Series regulars:
Stephen Bittrich as Blake, the playwright
David Marantz as Carlton (aka Jim), the artistic director
Dan Teachout as Hank, the jack of all trades
Robert Arthur Wilson as Johnny, the actor
Dennis Gagamiros as Derrick, the costume designer
Lisa Peart as Sammie, the stage manager
Kendall Rileigh as Bethany, the intern

If you’ve ever thought you might want to direct a film, this is a great interview for you because my buddy Brad talks honestly about some of the challenges he faced as a first time director shooting a “creature feature.”

Sometimes the elements don’t cooperate, or your creature gets held up in customs and arrives late, or you don’t have enough days on the schedule. There are so many obstacles awaiting you when you make a film.

In part one of this two part interview I talk to Brad about the movies he and his wife have been producing or co-executive producing (along with their partner, Todd Labarowski). These include, What Maisie Knew(with Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård and Steve Coogan – inspired by a Henry James novel), Prince Avalanche(directed by Austin filmmaker David Gordon Green and starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, Joe (with Nicholas Cage and again directed by David Gordon Green), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him AND Her(which can now be seen as intended in the big markets like New York — and a combined version “Them” is playing in some smaller markets), Manglehorn, (with Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina, directed by David Gordon Green) and The World Made Straight (with Noah Wiley, Minka Kelly, Haley Joel Osment, and Jeremy Irvine). These last 2 films have not yet been released.

In part 2 of the interview we’ll talk about Brad’s experiences directing a “creature feature” horror film. So keep an eye out for part 2 coming soon.

If you’re in New York or other select cities go see The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her. Click here for tickets in New York.

I’ve moved to Austin, and actor Mindy Raymond is a new friend I met at a pool party given by my friends, Brad and Melissa Coolidge (see exciting news about their big movie project at the bottom of this post).

While swimming around in the pool, Mindy mentioned this project she’d done with C. Thomas Howell called Bigfoot Wars that promised the potential cult status of a Sharknado, and I was all over that! I knew we needed to have an interview about her experience making that movie.

Right after Bigfoot Wars, because of the great work she did and because of a new connection she made on set with Robin Nations, she was cast in a family movie called The Adventures of Paula and Pepperbased in part on a real woman with the stage name of “Pistol Packin’ Paula” who is a modern day Annie Oakley-type persona here in Texas.

Talking about Bigfoot Wars experience … and how cool Alamo Drafthouse is (29:54)

Audition process for Bigfoot Wars (37:48)

Talking about the Bigfoot legend… please don’t kill Bigfoot! And, yes, there was a Legend of Boggy Creek movie in the 70s when I was 10 years old! (40:30)

Talking about The Adventures of Pepper and Paula (43:48)

“Bizarre, Interesting and/or Horrible Audition Stories” (49:35)

I mentioned my friends, Brad and Melissa Coolidge above (and this interview was actually taped in their guest house, so you’ll hear us mention at the end how Brad got stuck in a sudden downpour). They are co-executive producers of an AMAZING movie that I saw screened 2 nights ago here in Austin at the Violet Crown called The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and an amazing all-star supporting cast. It’s in theaters. Go see it now!

My friend Maggie Wagner is opening in a new movie! It will be playing tonight Friday June 20th at the Manhattan Film Festival at 9:30 pm. The film is called The Wisdom to Know the Difference which stars — Maggie of course, Daniel Baldwin, Billy Baldwin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mayra Leal.

Maggie comes from a show biz family which includes Uncle Mark Rydell who directed On Golden Pond and The Roseto Aunt Joanne Linville who wrote the bookSeven Steps to an Acting Craft, to brother Andrew Wagner who directed the filmsStarting Out in the Evening andThe Talent Given Us.

Here’s part 2 of Karen Moline’s interview. We get right into it talking about celebrity interviewing for the magazines she worked with. Don’t forget to check out Karen’s books, fiction and non-fiction, on Amazon.

By the way, the director of The Long Good Friday (that we blanked on) was John Mackenzie.

My fun friend Karen Moline is a wonderful writer with a no shortage of great stories! We we had such a long conversation (the time flew by) that I needed to break the interview up into 2 parts. So here is part 1 today. Come back next Friday for part 2.

One of the first things we talked about was her first novel, Lunch: A Novel of Erotic Obsession, and in the course of talking about that novel we explored a bit some of the ways writers go about getting ideas flowing and freeing themselves up to write.

She got a substantial advance for her second novel, Belladonna, (A Novel of Revenge) back in the days with publishing houses were able to do such things. Please go to Karen’s website for more information at www.KarenMoline.com.

Dreams for inspiration, the fun of research, take a trip to the library! (39:21)

What Karen learned at the University of Chicago (44:24)

Back to Belladonna,traveling to a location for research (49:05)

Writing something that makes you squirm a bit… like an orgy scene! (53:00)

Most satisfying financial moment (58:18)

How celebrities can change over time… Justin Bieber (1:00:18)

Taking criticism (1:05:18)

Fiction is to transport you out of your head… we’re all Elizabeth Bennett… and the A&E version is the best btw (1:08:46)

A great interview with Mel Gibson with the benefit of a secret (1:15:48)

Finally, I’m moving soon from staying with my folks in East Tennessee to Austin. My parents are selling their beautiful home. Take a look at this cool website I made for them, www.TennesseeMountainRetreat.com.